1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, and a multifunction peripheral having a plurality of functions of those machines. More particularly, the present invention relates to a configuration in which a container containing developer is removably mountable to an apparatus main body.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, in an image forming apparatus employing, for example, an electrophotographic system, there has been known a configuration in which a container containing developer is mounted to an apparatus main body, and the developer is supplied from the container to a developing device through a supply device. For example, there has been proposed a container in which a pump portion of the container is expanded and compressed so as to change a pressure therein to discharge developer into the supply device (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-15826).
However, in the configuration including such a container, when the container is removed from the apparatus main body for the purpose of replacement, the developer may leak from a connecting portion connecting the container and the supply device. As a result, a part of the container may be fouled. For example, in the invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-15826, when the container is removed from the apparatus main body, the connecting portion is retracted from an outlet of the container. However, in this case, the pressure in a route through which the developer in the supply device passes may become higher to cause the developer in the route to spill out. The developer that spills out in this way adheres to the container. When the developer adheres to the container, a user may touch the developer at the time of removing the container from the apparatus main body.